What are thoughts on putting the cooktop on the bottom wall and the ovens on that same wall? We could make that area wider if we took out some of the triangle near the left. That alcove is 32" deep b/c we wanted extra depth for the Fridge. I think we are at a little over 96" currently, which would leave 30" for counter space in that area. Most of which I would have in between the 2 appliances. DH really likes the Fridge on the left wall nearest the dining table. We could put the freezer on the opposite side and then turn the larder into more of an appliance storage. Some of the pictures above show larger; both wider and taller cabinets, that could be used for this purpose. As biondanonima suggested, I probably will also be spreading out on the island for baking and other prep work. So making the larder smaller and more of an appliance storage function should probably work. What program/software are you all using to modify the floor plan I posted? I'm guessing the above would be more clear if I could do that too. biondanonima: This is a multi story house- we have both a basement and 2nd floor above. Venting will likely be somewhat of an issue. The exterior wall is near the seating on the plan. There is also an exterior wall going to the screen porch. Directly above the kitchen is our bedroom with a balcony above the screen porch. I'm hoping the HVAC team will have a good solution for this. We do need the entry from the living to the kitchen - the powder room is right there for easy access from kitchen.

You've got a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem: you won't know the cost of any part of the project without developing at least some preliminary plans to show the scope. Ditto for interiors. However, if you wait until the plans are fully detailed to get the "punchline" you're likely to have wasted design money on a project that doesn't get built--at least not without some amount of redesign at additional cost. I suggest you pre-select your team to include your architect, remodeling contractor, and interior designer. Share your overall budget with the team as a project objective and ask them to allocate the overall budget between design, construction and interiors. Then do a reality check: ask them to compare the budget with similar projects and see if what you have in mind is doable. If it is, then commit to do some preliminary design work. Get real-world cost information from your contractor and interior designer to inform the design. If it's not then you need to decide whether you are willing to pare back the scope or increase the budget.

I just finished both of my design meetings with the design center, which is a third party local brand, so are paid by the builder but are employees of the home design center. I was fortunate because they sent me all the materials that I could choose from, but without prices. I had a month and a half to go through pictures, research the products and understand what each decision would entail. I didn't need the builders designer - I sourced all my information from Houzz. My designers had no input on my choices and they never asked me about my design aesthetic, etc. I came in prepared, probably more than they expected, so they just watched me do my thing. Because I was well researched and decisive it was easy. I wish you had that preparation. I agree, take pictures so you can confirm on the final order the accuracy and to have the items for your memory. I did and they're on my computer when I turn it on every day. Reminds me of what's to come. Honestly if you're at a high price point I guess a designer will be helpful but it's an added expense and I envision a designer reigned in by builder choices to get frustrated. Plus what if you don't have that many choices? Will it be for naught that you paid for a designer and all you can choose is palette A, B, or C? I don't know your builder, $$ or design center.

@joseph_corlett People have mold panic. Folks are right to be concerned with anything in their homes that may affect occupant health and safety. To be sure, lumber yard mold is common on framing materials and is inactivated after the home is dried in. Most folks will understand that if the builder will take time to explain and a simple internet search can confirm that no treatment is typically required. Pull-down stairs, however, are not typically stored outdoors like framing lumber is, and not installed until after drywall-- so they never get wet. Indeed, by the time interior trim, interior doors and pull-down stairs are being installed, the interior environment of the home should be conditioned using either portable equipment or the home's HVAC system. If drying in a home were the only condition required to prevent mold, it would not have taken up residence on the OP's pull-down stairs. While we don't have all of the information, it's not that difficult for anyone with knowledge of basic physics or building science to connect the dots. The photos, combined with the OP's description that spray foam was installed under the roof deck, that there is mold on the rafters, and that the HVAC system is not operational points to a moisture problem in the (unvented) attic. I suspect your physics is fuzzy, so let's take a look at what's going on. Hot air rises. Moist air rises (it's less dense than dry air.) In a home, that means moisture and heat can accumulate in the attic volume. Designers can address those conditions by choosing to either vent the attic or to create a "conditioned" attic. The building code doesn't dictate the choice, but it does provide specific requirements to be met in each case. The designer of the OP's home has opted for a "conditioned" attic. I'm not sure which code is in effect in Texas at the moment, but in the 2018 IRC, the requirements for unvented attics are listed in section R806.5 Among other things, the code requires the installation of a vapor diffusion port at the highest point in the attic and that conditioned air be supplied at a rate greater than or equal to 50 cfm/1,000 sq. ft. of attic area. We don't know if the first condition has been met, but we know that the second hasn't. Without the supply of conditioned air, the relative humidity in the attic is obviously sufficient to allow mold growth. Spray foam insulation is wonderful stuff, but it is unforgiving of installation errors. In this case, some form of temporary attic ventilation should have been provided and the installation of spray foam in the attic should have been deferred until the HVAC system was operational. Getting the HVAC system operational should halt the propagation of mold and an expert can be consulted with regard to any abatement. At today's prices for spray foam insulation, a conditioned attic is a significant investment. Homeowners will be well served to ensure their builder knows how to construct one without causing problems like the OP's.